Thursday, December 29, 2011

Today's topic for Sarah Enni's Best of 2011 blogfest is the top five books we recommended to people in 2011. I really like this one, because it feels less restricting to me somehow than yesterday's topic (top 5 books of the year). Here are my five, in no particular order:

Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard.

This was easily the book I recommended the most in 2011. It's just a book that I feel like has something for everyone. The writing, the characters, the setting. It's beautiful and it makes my heart happy every time I read it.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.

I have always, always loved fantasy. High (and epic) fantasy is where my heart is, as much as I love other genres. I don't know why. I just love it. And this series is easily the best in the genre I've ever read. Also, the TV show is such an amazingly done adaptation that I want everyone in the world to read the books and watch the show and have their minds blown by the awesomeness.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

It hasn't been out that long, but I've been telling people about it since I read it after getting an ARC at BEA. I knew from page one that I was going to love it, and it completely lived up to the high hopes I had from that first page.

Divergent by Veronica Roth.

I recommend this one a lot because a) it is awesome and b) people are really into this genre right now and I don't think anyone's dystopian reading life is complete if they haven't read this yet. Not only because it is action-filled like The Hunger Games, but there's also something about it that makes me think strongly (in a flattering way) of The Giver, which is one of the best books ever.

Shade's Children by Garth Nix.

In all honesty it's not specifically this book but ALL books by Garth Nix that I've recommended a lot this year. But this one is my favorite, and it's less well-known, because he wrote it before his popular Abhorsen trilogy. This is my actual favorite book of all time. So whenever there is an opportunity for me to recommend it to someone, I do.